On Monday, CalPERS said that Compton owes the pension fund $2.7 million, the Sacramento Bee reports.
CalPERS spokesperson Amy Norris said that the unpaid bills include health insurance and pension payments.
Background
Compton has experienced significant financial problems in recent months and publicly considered filing for bankruptcy over the summer.
Harold Duffey, the city manager, said that Compton has a short-term cash-flow problem, which should be resolved before the end of the year.
Compton Pledges Repayment
Duffey said that the city submitted a payment plan to CalPERS that pledged to "catch up in December."
However, CalPERS sued the city in Sacramento Superior Court after it withheld its September payments.
Norris said, "Contributions are required by law, and if they're not paid, we do intend to pursue all obligations" (Kasler, Sacramento Bee, 10/30).
Other Cities With Unpaid Obligations
Last week, CalPERS filed a formal objection to a bankruptcy claim filed by San Bernardino in August. According to CalPERS, San Bernardino has withheld $5.3 million worth of pension payments since it filed for bankruptcy.
Jim Morris -- the San Bernardino mayor's chief of staff -- said the missed payments are among the many financial obligations the city has delayed to make payroll and maintain essential services (California Healthline, 10/25).
In addition, CalPERS is the largest creditor in a bankruptcy case filed by Stockton.
The bankruptcy cases could set a precedent if judges relieve the cities of their pension commitments (California Healthline, 10/22).